


His Choice

by Mr_Gullible



Category: Magic Funhouse
Genre: Arlo reminds me too much of a child, M/M, Season 1 Spoilers, i tried alright, probably not accurate portrayal of child reactions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 13:13:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12059709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mr_Gullible/pseuds/Mr_Gullible
Summary: Takes place after the trial. The others frequently make sure Jimmy is alright and Arlo behaves like a child would.





	His Choice

A soft whine left Arlo’s mouth as he gripped a bit tighter at Jimmy’s clothes. The other male had simply tried to reposition himself and got this reaction. Ever since it all went down Arlo had been acting this way. Perhaps he was feeling bad about what happened? No matter the answer, Jimmy didn't mind. He got this precious little Arlo all to himself. Nobody could get him to leave Jimmy’s side.   
“You don't have to do all this you know?” Jimmy kept his voice soft to be sure Arlo didn’t think he wasn’t wanted there. But even when spoken to, Arlo wouldn’t lift his head and even moved a bit closer to Jimmy’s shoulder to keep his face from being seen. 

After the trial, there was always someone in Jimmy’s apartment. Sometimes it was just Sacha, or Cliff. Arlo was always accompanied by someone else. Sometimes everyone came over. At the end of the day, it always took two people to get Arlo to leave. The moment he got there Arlo would join Jimmy until he refused to leave when everyone else was ready to. It was suspected that if they didn’t make him leave, Arlo would sleep there as well. He was perfectly capable of getting up and doing -most- things himself, but after an incident where he tried to get up which resulted in Arlo frantically telling him not to, Jimmy learned to just let the others handle things for him. Arlo would hardly speak while they were like this. Most of the time he wouldn’t directly look at Jimmy either. It was out of character for him, then again most of this was Jimmy figured as he ran it all through his head. In a talk with Manjusha, it was brought to his attention that Arlo’s actions were probably brought on by his lack of maturity and stress.   
Most of the time Arlo was childish, putting it lightly. With a temper of a three-year-old and a tendency to throw fits and pout, it was understandable to not immediately to recognise his current behaviour was connected. Arlo had been threatened, and possibly killed if Jimmy jumped in. And because he did, Arlo had to see his friend shot through the head and nearly killed. Manjusha pointed out that just about anyone would be traumatised, and that’s not including Arlo’s child mind. When things like that happen in front of a child they tend to cling and not want to leave the person it happened to. They get separation anxiety and believe it’ll happen again. That’s how Sacha explained it.

Looking at Arlo it made perfect sense. He really was just a child inside of a man’s body. Though it hurt a little looking at it from that perspective. He wanted to believe that Arlo was staying by him with the thought that Jimmy needed the comfort and reassurance. He definitely did. Even with Dave in prison, Jimmy was terrified that the second Arlo walked out that door Dave would be there with a bullet to hit the right person this time. But Jimmy faced the fact that Arlo was doing it for his own reassurance, even if he didn’t know he was. That was fine though. Just having Arlo curled up by him was basically a dream come true. He loved Arlo enough to take a bullet for him. The idea that anyone would think Arlo too immature, or too childish, to love that way was absurd to Jimmy. It made him more worthy of love. Children have an innocence that you lose when you get older. The more you age the more dishonest and unlike yourself do you become. Children are themselves because they don’t worry about what some prick who runs a company may think of them. Everything precious about a child Arlo demonstrated. The thought of it willed Jimmy to look at the man curled up behind him. But was met with Arlo’s brown eyes looking back at him. When he realised he had been spotted he looked away. Thinking about telling Arlo it was okay to look at him, the words never came up because the sound of a voice he hadn’t heard in what felt like forever took them away.

“I’m sorry, Jimmy.”

Those three words were enough to render the recipient speechless. Of all the things people had said to him, those words had never been said. It was always ‘thank you ‘that was brave’ and bullshit along those lines. He didn’t think it was brave. He thought it was what you did when you really loved someone. But with everything everyone said ‘I’m sorry’ was new. Becoming aware of how long he’d been staring at Arlo, he forced words to come up.

“You don’t have to apologise, Arlo. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

Arlo glanced up at him, seeming to consider his answer.

“I got you shot”

“Dave”

Jimmy only said that before adjusting his body once more so he was facing Arlo. Whose hands moved to grip the fabric over Jimmy’s chest.

“Dave is the one who got me shot. Not you. He held the gun, he pulled the trigger. You shouldn’t put the blame on yourself.”

Arlo met his eyes. He now looked upset. Jimmy couldn’t tell about what though. 

“But he was trying to shoot me. You survived, I would’ve too” 

Jimmy moved his hands to Arlo’s upper arms, holding them gently. 

“He was aiming to kill you, Arlo. I survived because he wasn’t expecting me. If it had hit you..” he paused here, not wanting to say it. “it would’ve killed you.”

There was another pause.

“I made my choice. I made the choice to protect you like that and I don’t regret it” a soft smile formed on his face. “Alright?”

Arlo didn’t move for a full minute, and Jimmy had started to think he had upset the other. That was until Arlo made a slight movement before hugging Jimmy, once again keeping his face from sight. Jimmy was quick to return the hug.

“You saved my life, and saved me from prison… Thank you”

**Author's Note:**

> I want to add more to this but I'm not sure what so I'll probably make a series of drabbles and that sort


End file.
